Celebrities have to get into character when they set out to “be” the character that they are cast as. For instance, Tom Cruise actually became a FedEx driver when he got into character for Collateral. Click through for more.

The moral of the story is that some actors and actresses take things very seriously and go the extra mile when they go about getting into character and preparing for a role.

Here are just a few of the crazy things that some actors have done in preparation:

Tom Cruise became a FedEx driver in preparation for his role as Vincent in Collateral. The preparation had little to do with his actual role except that he wanted to learn how to blend in and become unrecognisable. So he delivered packages in a crowded Los Angeles market place. He also did extensive firearm training with live ammunition and got quite good at it.

The relatively unknown Adrien Brody (at the time) not only learned to play the piano from scratch, but he also literally gave up everything in his life for his role in The Pianist. He even gave up his long-term girlfriend so that when he cried, it really was a true reflection of sadness. He needed to know what it was like to lose everything, and so he did. Brody picked up an Oscar for his performance and it also made him the youngest actor to win one – he was 29 at the time.

The cast of Saving Private Ryan tried to get as close to hell as possible: who could ever forget war shown as realistically as was possible at the time. Food was in the form of canned rations because almost every major cast member went through a 10-day boot camp training regiment with retired Marine Dale Dye. Actor Edward Burns said the preparation for this movie was the worst experience of his life – which paints a picture. Steven Spielberg however made a wise choice – he made Matt Damon exempt from the boot camp training so that the onscreen dynamic between him and the rest of the cast was as real as possible.

You might not immediately recognise the name Ed Harris, but you’ll definitely recognise his face, and you’ll also have seen him in countless movies. In Pollock, which he also directed, Harris literally became his character. Writes Cracked:

Harris played the world-famous painter Jackson Pollock during the final years of his life. Harris not only spent 10 years working on the film, but made sure to literally become Pollock in every way imaginable. He gained 30 pounds, took up painting in Pollock’s trademark drip style (by building a whole art studio in his house), and even smoked Camel cigarettes, the artist’s favorite brand. Basically, he stopped just short of devouring Pollock’s heart to absorb his soul.

Robert De Niro might play comedic versions of a thug from times passed these days, but he has gone to lengths that show why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest actors ever. For Raging Bull, De Niro played the role of real-life boxer Jake LaMotta. De Niro trained with LaMotta and actually ended up breaking LaMotta’s ribs and teeth. For Taxi Driver, De Niro happily completed his 12-hour shifts as a New York cab driver and for The Untouchables, he even wore silk underpants just like Al Capone used to. They were hand crafted by a tailor and they never even appeared onscreen once.

[Source: Cracked]